Quorum Attended Contested Meeting, Board Chairman Says

September 02, 1998|By PAUL MARKS; Courant Staff Writer

WINDSOR LOCKS — Four of the five members of the school board attended a meeting of school administrators in March without posting an announcement of the meeting in advance, board Chairman Scott Storms said Tuesday.

Members of a newly formed citizens' group contend that the gathering was an illegal ``secret meeting.'' Last month, the Windsor Locks Children's Action Network complained to the state Freedom of Information Commission about the session.

Storms conceded that the March 18 gathering raises questions about the board's obligations under state law, but said he is not sure the state open-meetings law was broken.

``At no time did the board members take part in, or act upon, any matter that was discussed at that meeting,'' Storms said Tuesday. ``In retrospect, it might have been prudent to post the gathering of the board as though it were a meeting.

``As chairman . . . I'm going to see to it that any similar gatherings in the future are posted in the same manner as a public meeting,'' he said, adding that he will have the board attend a workshop on the state freedom of information law as soon as one can be organized.

In March, the principals and other system administrators invited all five board members by telephone to be present for their meeting at Windsor Locks High School, Storms said. The half-hour session took place at a time of high tension between Superintendent of Schools June Hartford-Alley and middle school Principal Barbara Tague, who subsequently resigned.

No minutes were recorded. Neither Hartford-Alley nor Tague was present, Storms said, and those administrators who were there simply made individual statements of support for the superintendent. Storms said the board members neither asked questions nor engaged in discussion.

The only board member absent was Robert Oliva, the sole critic of the superintendent. Oliva, who has since resigned from the board, could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

The Children's Action Network, which says it has about 20 members, is led by Nancy LaPointe and Sharon Neri. In an Aug. 21 letter, the two filed a three-part complaint with the Freedom of Information Commission, which enforces the state's open-government laws.

They complained that the March 18 meeting was illegal. They also contended that an Aug. 4 closed session of the board was held to discuss wages paid to nonunion school employees, but the affected workers were not advised.

They also complained that closed sessions were held at 18 meetings over a nine-month period ending Aug. 11, with the purpose for those sessions sometimes not specifically spelled out on board agendas.

Storms said he welcomes constructive criticism, but senses that LaPointe and Neri are taking an antagonistic posture. For instance, they have not yet sent the school board a copy of their complaint, now 12 days old, he said.

Also, a four-page, typed request for dozens of board records was presented to the school board in July, with the statement, ``Your response is required by Aug. 31, 1998.''

The board denied that request last week. Storms said he consulted the schools' attorney and was told the school system is not obligated to perform research and compile answers upon demand, as the citizens' group had requested. Such information as job descriptions, long-range plans and budget figures is available at the board office and may be obtained by any member of the public upon request, he said.

In its denial, the board said that compiling the requested information would have cost it $3,000 in employees' time.

Neri said Tuesday that she was surprised to learn that Storms had confirmed reports her group had received that a quorum of board members attended the March 18 meeting. She said the Children's Action Network planned to meet today and will discuss its next step.